


The Deathberry and His Princess

by mayelisa



Category: Bleach
Genre: Angst, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-11
Updated: 2012-12-11
Packaged: 2017-11-20 21:44:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 12,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/589972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayelisa/pseuds/mayelisa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her heart raced with the briefest of glances and her knees turned to jelly with the smallest smile. She was head over heels in love with the man in front of her and she wouldn't have it any other way. Collection of Ichi/Hime drabbles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tooth

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble I: Tooth

"Ow!"

Rubbing his cheek, Ichigo winced at the searing pain that was now subsiding to a dull throbbing. Glaring at the cookie he held in his hand, he tossed it back onto the small platter that sat on the kitchen counter.

"Are you alright, Kurosaki-kun?"

Glancing up at the quiet voice, his gaze softened. Orihime was peeking around the kitchen, her auburn hair spilling over her shoulder as she gazed at him, concern flashing across her gray eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine Inoue. I just have a toothache, that's all. Nothing to worry about." Shrugging nonchalantly, he made his way back towards the living room where they had been studying for the upcoming exams.

"Oh, but Kurosaki-kun, what if you have a cavity?" cried Orihime as she followed at his heels, worry overtaking her. "Your tooth could rot and fall out!"

Grimacing at the prospect, Ichigo turned to the healer and smiled softly. "I doubt I have a cavity."

"But –" Her eyes widened when he placed his index finger against her lips to silence her.

"Inoue, don't worry about me. I'll be fine," he murmured, his lips curving into a small smile.

Blushing, Orihime averted her gaze. Even after dating for nearly a year, her heart raced with the briefest of glances and her knees turned to jelly with the smallest smile. She was head over heels in love with the man in front of her and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"But Kurosaki-kun, what if –"

She trailed off when he gently, but firmly, pressed his lips to hers, his hands gripping her shoulders. Closing her eyes, she curled her hands around the fabric of his shirt. Her heart racing, she stood on her tiptoes in order to get closer to him. Leaning into the kiss, Ichigo inhaled the light floral scent that wafted around his girlfriend. Wrapping his arms around her small waist, he pulled her closer, his lips brushing teasingly over hers.

"Can't you two get a room?"

At the sound of the irritated voice, the couple broke apart, their faces a brilliant red as they stared at Karin. Rather embarrassed at being caught, Orihime buried her face in Ichigo's shirt as Ichigo rested his chin on top of her head.

"You don't have to watch us, you know," he said sullenly.

"Like I would ever want to. You two are so lovey-dovey lately you're going to give me a cavity," grumbled Karin as she walked past them before plopping down onto the couch.

Smiling sheepishly at his girlfriend, Ichigo brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes.

Maybe he should go to the dentist after all.


	2. Vacuum Cleaner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble II: Vacuum Cleaner

Humming softly, Orihime dried her hands before setting the dishrag on the counter. Placing her hands on her hips, she happily surveyed her hard work. Dishes were drying in the rack beside the sink, the counters were spotless and the stove gleamed in the bright light filtering through the windows. The laundry had been washed and hung up in their spacious closet and the bathroom glittered in the fluorescent lighting.

That morning Ichigo had been called in to an important meeting at the school, and Orihime knew he would be stressed so she tried her very best to make their apartment spic and span before his return.

Nodding her head in approval at the kitchen, she skipped merrily into the living room. Opening the hallway closet, she glanced warily at the vacuum cleaner. It sat innocently in the corner of the closet, partially hidden by winter coats and other items that had been tossed carelessly inside. Shrugging her shoulders, she pushed aside the coats and grasped the cool metal handle of the machine.

Wheeling it into the center of the room, she slowly unwound the cord, taking care to make sure it wouldn't become tangled. Plugging it into the outlet beside the front door, she tapped at the power button with her toe and nearly gasped when it roared to life. Laughing at how easily startled she was, she shook her head and began moving about the room, vacuum in hand.

' _I wonder if there's anything living inside the vacuum,'_  she wondered idly as she pushed the vacuum cleaner under the coffee table.  _'The gremlins in the dryer eat socks, although they only seem to eat Ichigo's, and there's a monster in the sink that eats our leftovers. I'm sure there must be something inside the vacuum.'_

As her mind wandered, she nearly forgot the task at hand. Over the loud whirring of the vacuum, she heard the front door open. Glancing at the entrance, she smiled brightly as Ichigo stepped through the doorway. His mouth was set into a grim line and there were dark circles under his normally fierce eyes. Lifting his hand in a greeting, he negligently shrugged his jacket off and hung it up in the closet. Loosening his tie as he turned around to face his wife, he paused, his eyes widening.

Standing in the middle of the living room with the vacuum cleaner stood Orihime who just happened to be clueless to the fact that the power cord was wrapped snuggly around her legs.

"H-Hime?" he asked, but his concerned question was drowned out by the loud whirring of the machine.

His eyes widened in horror as she turned the vacuum off and took a step towards him. Her mouth formed a small 'o' as she lost her balance and tumbled unceremoniously to the ground. Dashing to her side, Ichigo shook his head when his wife began to laugh merrily.

"Welcome home, Ichigo!" she cried, her eyes shining with joy.

"This isn't exactly what I planned to come home to," he grumbled as his gaze roved her body, searching for any injuries. "What were you thinking? You need to be careful!"

"Oh, but I just wanted to make sure the house was clean before you came home," said Orihime as she stuck her bottom lip out.

"Don't pout," scolded Ichigo, trying to keep his stern face intact.

"Why?"

"Your lip will get stuck that way." Ichigo rolled his eyes at her dramatic gasp and helped her into a sitting position. "Anyway, what were you thinking? What if you had fallen and I wasn't home?"

"I'm fine, Ichi." She patted his arm soothingly when his frown deepened. "I'm not made out of porcelain."

Chuckling at his wife's obstinate tone, Ichigo smoothed a flyaway piece of hair from her face. "How did you manage to get tangled up in the cord?"

"Ah, I was thinking of what type of creature lived in the vacuum cleaner!" She laughed at Ichigo's groan and swatted him playfully in the arm. "We have gremlins in the dryer – ah, that reminds me. They ate another one of your socks."

With a sigh, Ichigo made a mental note to find another dryer – preferably one without gremlins.

"But anyway, we have that monster in the sink that eats leftovers, so I thought there was something inside the vacuum that eats all of the crumbs left on the floor."

"Hime, there's nothing inside the vacuum cleaner." His brows furrowed at her crestfallen expression and he sighed in defeat. "Okay, maybe there is, but I am  _not_  going to go in there after it," he said as he poked her nose.

Giggling, Orihime beamed up at her husband. His eyes softening, Ichigo leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. Cupping her face, he pulled away and smiled gently.

"Now let's get you untangled so we can finish this somewhere else." He grinned boyishly at her flushed face and proceeded to untangle the cord.


	3. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one I was actually inspired by something that happened to me when I was little. A very late birthday present for my good friend Temari, so I hope she (and all of you) enjoys it! :D
> 
> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble III: Rescue

Ichigo scowled as the screams and laughter of young children echoed around him. Somewhere in the room, a mother was trying to calm their crying child but her efforts only seemed to make the kid scream louder. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his temples, hoping to will away the headache that was forming. This would be the last time he'd ever take his family to this place. Glancing at his watch, he frowned.

"We should get going," he said loudly, trying to be heard over the kids running around.

"Oh, but we just got here!" protested his wife. She pouted cutely, her gray eyes meeting his. Her auburn hair was swept back into a braid and her blue hairpins rested on either side of her face, pinning her bangs back.

"We've been here for over an hour, Hime," corrected Ichigo. Whoever decided to install a play area in a restaurant should be shot.

"But Kyoko's having so much fun." Orihime smiled brightly up at her husband. She knew how much he hated these places – they were always cramped and rather loud, but when their daughter begged him to let her play he instantly gave in. Stifling a giggle, she let her gaze travel over to the maze of tunnels, slides and ball-pits.

Scowling, Ichigo propped his elbow on the table, his chin resting on the palm of his hand. No matter how hard he tried, he was never able to resist his daughter's pleas. Despite being only four years old, she already had him wrapped around her tiny fingers.

His eyes widened in horror when he heard a small scream – a scream he would recognize anywhere.

"Kyoko!"

Standing up abruptly, he rushed past a bewildered Orihime to the corner of the structure. Orihime quickly followed him, her heart slamming painfully against her ribcage. Looking up, they could just barely make out the small hand pressed against the plastic window in one of the cubbies. A second later, a tearful gaze met theirs and Orihime clapped a hand to her mouth. She would recognize that bright orange hair and gray eyes anywhere.

"Why is she crying?" whispered Orihime.

"If anyone put a hand on her…" muttered Ichigo, his hands clenching into fists.

"I don't think someone hurt her…I think she's lost." Ichigo stared at his wife in disbelief as she cupped her hands around her mouth to call up to their daughter. "Kyoko, honey, it's okay! Just come down the slide!"

"I don't think she can hear you," said a young woman beside Orihime. "My son got stuck up there last week and no matter how loud I yelled, he couldn't hear me. He eventually came down on his own though. Sometimes you just have to wait."

"There's no way in hell I'm just going to leave her up there," growled Ichigo.

"Ichigo, what are you doing?" called Orihime as her husband marched towards the opening of the tunnels.

"What else? I'm going to get our daughter."

With a sigh, Orihime smiled fondly after him as he crawled into the cramped space. No matter how many years had passed since the Winter War, Ichigo just couldn't stop protecting people he cared about.

"This is ridiculous," muttered Ichigo. He was thankful he was still slim enough to fit into the tunnels, but his height made it difficult for him to get around. "Why can't they make these damn things bigger?"

As he made his way around, he began to grow worried when he couldn't hear his daughter crying. Spying a ladder of sorts, he hoisted himself up through the narrow hole in the netting. He knew she was towards the top of the structure, so if he could just make his way there, he was sure he'd be able to find her.

After several minutes of forcing his way through the maze, he came to a fork in the tunnel. To his right were the openings for the slides. Shaking his head, he glanced to his right and sighed in relief. At the end of the tunnel, sat his daughter. Making his way forward, he saw that she had wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her head in her arms.

"Kyoko? Are you alright?" he asked gently. She glanced up at him, her gray eyes filled with tears. Her short, orange hair was pulled into pigtails at the base of her neck and a small flower hairclip similar to her mother's held her hair in place.

"Daddy?" she whispered.

He smiled gently at the young girl and held his arms out for her. Kyoko scrambled to her feet and threw her small arms around Ichigo's neck.

"D-daddy, I…I was so scared!" she cried as she buried her face in Ichigo's shirt.

Running his hand over her soft hair, Ichigo held her close. "It's okay. I came to rescue you."

"R-really?" Pulling away, Kyoko sniffled and wiped at her tears. Her eyes widened as Ichigo reached out to gently wipe her tears away with the pad of his thumb.

"Of course! Did you really think I'd leave you up here to rot?" scoffed Ichigo. Ruffling her hair, he grinned. "Let's get you out of here. I bet your mom's worried about you."

* * *

Orihime gazed intently up at the structure as she nibbled on her lower lip. Ichigo hadn't been gone very long, but she couldn't help but worry that he might have gotten stuck while trying to retrieve their daughter. Her worry subsided slightly when she remembered the fierce determination that shone in his amber eyes right before he disappeared into the tunnels.

She turned to her right when a flash of orange caught her eye. Her eyes widened slightly for a moment before she laughed joyfully when she saw her husband and daughter at the bottom of the slide. Kyoko was sitting in Ichigo's lap, her traumatizing experience clearly forgotten in the safety of her father's arms. The little girl glanced up and beamed at her.

"Mommy!" she cried. Jumping off of Ichigo's lap, she raced over to Orihime and wrapped her arms around the woman's legs. "Daddy came to rescue me!"

"I know. He rescued you from the tower just like he rescued me," said Orihime softly, a knowing smile on her lips.

"Daddy rescued you from a tower too?" asked Kyoko, her eyes shining in wonder.

"Yes...a long time ago." Orihime glanced up and winked at her flustered husband.

Clearing his throat, Ichigo started gathering up their jackets and Kyoko's shoes. "Well now that you're safe, let's go home."

"No way! I want to play some more!"

Reflexively, Ichigo grabbed the back of Kyoko's shirt as she ran past him, halting her progress. "I think you've had more than enough excitement for one day."

"But daddy!" whined Kyoko.

"Maybe next time," said Orihime as she slipped her jacket on. She laughed at the glare Ichigo shot in her direction.

Skillfully, Ichigo scooped his daughter into his arms and poked her in the nose. "I don't want to have to come rescue you again. Once is enough for today."

Pouting, Kyoko nodded and allowed Orihime to put her shoes back on her tiny feet. Setting her down, Ichigo told hold of one of her hands while Orihime took the other.

"Let's go home, ne?" said Orihime happily as her gaze met Ichigo's. She smiled warmly at him, her eyes sparkling. Grinning, Ichigo turned his attention back towards his daughter.

As she smiled up at him, Ichigo knew he would rescue his pure, innocent daughter no matter how many times it took.


	4. Fever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In celebration of it being the time of year where people get sick (No, seriously. Everyone I know, including myself, is sick.) I decided to write a drabble where Hime finally gets sick.
> 
> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble IV: Fever

"Here. Drink this."

"I told you, I don't need any medicine. I'm perfectly healthy."

"Hime, you have a fever," said Ichigo pointedly as he stared at his stubborn wife.

"I'm just a little flushed," retorted Orihime. Patting his arm gently, she smiled brightly at him. "Don't worry so much. You know that I don't get sick."

Ichigo watched helplessly as Orihime pushed the covers away from herself and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Standing up, she swung her arms around, sighing contently as her muscles loosened. She had been cooped up in the house all day, no thanks to Ichigo. Turning around to face him, she grinned and pumped her fist into the air.

"See? You don't need to worry! I'm as healthy as an elephant!"

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over her and she held a hand to her forehead, trying to will it away. A small gasp escaped her as a pair of strong arms steadied her, her body pressed tightly against Ichigo's. Her cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of red as she rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes drifting shut as the sound of his strong, steady heartbeat reached her ears.

"See? I told you. You need to stay in bed," he murmured into her hair.

"But Ichigo, I –" She squealed in surprise when she was swept off her feet and into Ichigo's arms.

"No buts. You're going to rest, even if it means I have to tie you to the damn bed."

"Oh, Ichigo. You're so naughty," giggled Orihime as she playfully slapped his chest.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Averting his gaze, Ichigo felt his cheeks grow warm and his brows furrowed. Placing his giggling bundle onto the bed, he knelt over her, his amber eyes boring into her gray ones. "You stay put or I might just have to punish you."

Eyes twinkling mischievously, Orihime smiled coyly at him. "And how would you punish me?"

"I'll throw away all of the wasabi and red bean paste in the house." He grinned at her horrified look, amused at how easy it was to get her to listen to him. "Now stay in bed. Got it?"

"Yes sir!" Laughing, Orihime mockingly saluted him, which Ichigo merely rolled his eyes at.

"Good." Leaning down, Ichigo teasingly brushed his lips over hers. Pulling away, he smiled gently down at her and pushed himself up from the mattress. Without thinking, Orihime reached out and wrapped her fingers around his wrist. Blinking, Ichigo glanced at his arm and then at his wife, who was looking rather sheepish.

"Ano… Do you think you could stay with me a while longer?"

Chuckling, Ichigo pulled the covers back and scooted onto the bed, wrapping his arms around Orihime's waist. Nuzzling her hair, he planted a soft kiss just below her earlobe. Sighing contently, Orihime scooted closer to Ichigo, relishing the safety she felt by simply having his arms around her.

Soon, both of them had slipped into a dreamless slumber – although Orihime swore she distinctly heard her husband snoring somewhere in the distance.


	5. Nurse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Companion piece for my drabble "fever." 
> 
> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble V: Nurse

Blindly groping at the small bedside table, Ichigo successfully pulled a tissue free from its container. Bringing it to his nose, he stiffened, his muscles tensing as something unseen tickled his nostrils. Brows furrowing, his nose wrinkled as he tried in vain to fight against the sneeze threatening to explode from within his sinuses.

_ACHOO!_

Slumping against his pillows, Ichigo briefly glared at the dirty tissue in his hands before tossing it into the trashcan beside his bed. Sniffing, he cursed his luck. Only a week ago had Orihime been sick and it seemed as if she had passed on her illness to him. Attempting to inhale deeply through his stuffed up nose, he doubled over as a coughing fit overcame him. Breathing deeply, he swallowed thickly against his sore throat before flopping backwards, feeling defeated.

"Damn it…" he muttered to no one in particular. His body ached, his stomach churned each time he caught a whiff of something cooking. Feeling restless, he had tried to help his wife clean their home, but she quickly shooed him back to bed, fearing that he would make his health worse.

"Ichigo, it's time to take your medicine," called a sweet voice from down the hallway.

' _Great…more of that disgusting stuff that the doctor prescribed,'_  he thought sullenly.

Glancing up as he heard footsteps approaching, his eyes widened in shock at the sight that greeted him. There stood his lovely wife, her auburn hair swept back into a side ponytail and signature blue hairpins on either side of her large, expressive eyes. What had caught Ichigo off guard was what she was wearing.

A tight white nurse's outfit clung to her figure, showing off a healthy amount of her cleavage. The skirt stopped at her mid-thigh, exposing the white stockings that were attached to lacy garters.

"Wh-wh-what the hell is that?!" he stammered, feeling his cheeks flush even more.

"Eh? Oh, this?" Laughing softly, she set the bottle she was carrying down on the bedside table and smiled shyly at him. "Rangiku-san bought it for me. She heard that you were sick and said that this would make you feel better."

Groaning, Ichigo sunk into his pillows, his brows furrowed. "Hime,  _why_  do you still listen to her?" Peeking at her out of the corner of his eye, he scowled. "And you should know better than to accept outfits like that from her."

"Ah, I know," said Orihime as she soothingly patted his arm. "I just felt so bad for getting you sick that I thought this was the least I could do to make it up to you."

"You don't need to make it up to me," he grumbled. Throwing the blankets over his head, he groaned as his body protested the sudden movement.

"Ichigo, you still need to take your medicine."

"Just leave it on the table. I'll take it later."

Frowning, Orihime pulled the blankets back from over her husband's head, her gray eyes shining with worry. "Ichigo, you need to listen to what the doctor said and take your medicine."

"I shouldn't have to –" Before Ichigo could react, Orihime popped the capsules into his mouth. Blinking in surprise at his wife's quick reflexes, he reluctantly swallowed the pills, grimacing afterwards. "Happy now?"

"Yes." Smiling, she dropped a kiss onto his cheek before rising to her feet. "And you should listen to your father; he's a doctor after all."

Grumbling, Ichigo settled back into his pillows and closed his eyes. Hearing her footsteps fade, he hoarsely called out to her.

"Hime?"

"Hmm?"

"Take that ridiculous costume off."

Smiling softly, she nodded.

"Yes dear."


	6. Photo Shoot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based on my recent experience with a photo shoot for my photography class where we actually had a model. No, she didn't strip, but I was wondering what would happen if Ichigo had to model for someone and this is what I came up with. Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved

Drabble VI: Photo Shoot

_Click._

The sound of shuffling as someone shifted slightly.

_Click._

Sighing softly, Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, idly wondering how he had gotten himself into this. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face as bright lights shone down on him. Wiping a hand across his forehead, he scowled.

"Oh, do that again!"

Glancing over at his girlfriend, his eyes narrowed. Orihime was crouched down, a large camera in her hands. A bag full of lenses and memory cards sat innocently in the corner behind her, evidence of the newest obsession she was currently experiencing. Once they had started college, Orihime decided on a whim to take a photography class. It had started out innocently enough, but now that finals were approaching, Orihime had decided to use Ichigo as the subject for her project.

He squinted against the bright light, trying to see her face that was shrouded in darkness. "Do what again?"

"Run your hand through your hair," she said as she brought the viewfinder up to her eye. "You had the cutest look on your face when you did that."

"I am  _not_  cute."

"Are too."

"Damn it, Hime! I am not cute."

"Of course not, dear. What was I thinking? You're not cute at all. Now run your hand through your hair again."

Scowling, he obliged by running his hand through his hair once again, the sound of frantic clicking in the background. Unsure of what to do, he awkwardly shoved his hands in his pockets, his gaze traveling around the room. It was a small studio in the art building of the college they attended. From the look of things, no one had used it in several years. Dust coated much of the floor and shelves. Upon further inspection, Ichigo found that there were containers of dried oil paint and brushes stored in one of the cabinets and canvas was shoved in a corner of the back room. Shaking his head, he peered at Orihime.

"What else did you want me to do?"

"Hmm..." Tapping her finger against her chin in thought, she raked her brain for a moment. Suddenly, a wide grin spread across her face, causing Ichigo to become wary of what she was going to ask of him. "Take your shirt off."

"Wh-what?! No way! I'm not taking my shirt off!"

"Please?"

"Hell no!"

Standing up, Orihime approached Ichigo, her eyes wide and pleading. "Pretty please?"

Ichigo averted his gaze, refusing to be suckered into doing what she wanted just because of that  _look_  she always gave him. "No."

Tilting her head to the side, she peered into his amber eyes. " _Pleeeeeeeaaaaase?_  Pretty please with sugar on top?" Knowing she was close to victory, she pouted for extra effect.

Exhaling harshly, Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose. After quickly weighing his options, he figured it wouldn't hurt any to do what she wanted. Besides, it's not like his pictures would be plastered all over the school or in the weekly newsletter.

"Fine." Orihime whooped in victory and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "You owe me for this though."

"Of course!" Beaming, she quickly resumed her position, bringing her camera up to her eye.

Feeling rather disgruntled, Ichigo began to slowly remove his over-shirt. If he had to strip for the sake of art, he might as well torment his girlfriend at the same time. Smirking, he casually let the t-shirt slip out of his hand and fall to the floor. Gripping the edges of his long-sleeve shirt, he slowly raised it, revealing his sculpted abs and tanned skin.

Despite focusing on taking photos, Orihime couldn't help but feel rather hot and bothered by her boyfriend's excruciatingly slow movements. Lowering the camera, she licked her dry lips as her eyes traveled up his exposed stomach. She couldn't help but be in awe of how the light played across his sculpted body. Her stomach fluttered as she watched him pull his shirt up higher, revealing his broad shoulders. Setting her camera down, she quietly made her way across the room, her fingers itching to run down his chest.

Pulling his shirt over his head, Ichigo blinked in surprise to see Orihime standing in front of him, her eyes slightly darkened and a blush staining her cheeks. "Er...Hime? I thought you were supposed to be taking pictures."

Smiling slightly, she ran her hands up his chest until they rested on his shoulders. "Pictures can wait."

Chuckling, Ichigo wrapped his arms around her small waist, pulling her roughly against him. Brushing his lips against the side of her ear, he whispered huskily, "I was hoping you'd say that."

He pulled away for a brief moment before claiming her lips in a passionate kiss.

* * *

Yawning, Ichigo stretched out on the plush sofa of his dorm room. Reaching over to the table, he picked up the weekly newsletter from the school and flipped it open. As he scanned the front page, his took a sip of his coffee, only to spit it out a moment later. There he was, on the front page, in all of his shirtless glory.

"ORIHIME!"

Orihime innocently peeked from around the corner, her eyes wide. "Hai?"

"What the hell is this?!" demanded Ichigo as he jabbed his finger angrily at the photograph.

"Oh... Well, you see..." Scratching her neck, she laughed nervously. "My teacher liked the photos I took so much that she decided to write an article to promote the photography class for next semester."

"Why didn't you tell her no?!"

Holding her hands up in defense, Orihime tentatively took a step backwards. "S-she didn't tell me about it until she had already submitted the article."

Growling, Ichigo threw the paper on the table and rose to his feet, advancing towards his scared girlfriend. As she tried to bolt for the bedroom, he threw and arm out and caught her around the waist. Orihime gasped as her body crashed into Ichigo's, his hold on her waist too strong for her to wiggle out of. Glancing up at him, she swallowed thickly when she noticed that his eyes were becoming tinged with gold.

"Remember how I said you'd owe me for those pictures?"

Unable to speak, she merely nodded her head.

"Well, I'm going to cash in on that promise."

Without another word, he casually threw her over his shoulder before stalking off to the bedroom, a smirk playing about his lips as she screamed in protest.


	7. Gun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble VII: Gun

Cautiously, he took a step towards her shaking form. Her eyes were wide with fear, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. The dim light that filtered through the broken shutters illuminated the gun that she was holding.

"'Hime, put the gun down," he pleaded. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"No," she whispered. Her hands shook as she raised the gun, her eyes widening as he took another step towards her. "Stay away!"

"I can't do that." A bitter-sweet smile quirked his lips. Taking another step forward, his brows furrowed when she hurriedly took a step backwards, her back hitting the wall behind her.

"Just...go away. Don't come near me." Her throat burned from the sobs she was choking back, her heart pounded painfully in her ribcage.

"Put down the gun."

Reaching out to take the gun from her, his eyes widened as she screamed.

A gunshot echoed throughout the empty warehouse.


	8. Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After being nagged at by several people *coughcopperandenelyacough* to write a continuation, here it is! I'm tempted to write a full-fledged fanfic based on this, but I haven't decided quite yet since I'm still battling with my writer's block so we'll see. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble VIII: Blood

"Oh God... I-I didn't mean for this to happen," whispered Orihime.

Grasping his upper arm, Ichigo winced at the gash on his arm. Blood coated his hand and seeped into his shirt. The clatter of the gun falling to the ground reached his ears as Orihime fell to her knees.

Curling her fingers into her hair, she stared unthinkingly at the ground. Tears streamed down her face, her lips moving as she silently repeated the phrase 'Oh God' over and over again.

"Orihime..." Raising his hand, he gently cupped her cheek. Her pain-stricken eyes snapped up, their gazes meeting.

"Oh...oh God, Ichigo. I...I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen," she whispered.

"I know." He smiled softly at her, his thumb brushing a stray tear away. "Let's just go home, okay?"

Silently, she nodded.


	9. Picture Frame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble XI: Picture Frame

"What the hell are you doing?"

Shooting an irritated glance at his companion, Ichigo's brows furrowed as he critically analyzed the items before him. "Picking out a present for Orihime. What does it look like I'm doing?"

Rolling his eyes at the substitute shinigami's silence, Renji idly began picking at his fingernails. Leaning against a counter, he shot his friend another look out of the corner of his eye. Shaking his head, he wasn't sure why Ichigo always got so wound up when trying to pick out a present for his wife.

"Oi, what about this one?"

Pushing away from the counter, Renji leaned over the counter, his eyes narrowing as he eyed Ichigo's selection. Shrugging his shoulders, he grunted an affirmative.

* * *

"I can't believe how swollen my feet have gotten!" Flopping onto the couch with a soft 'oof', Orihime peered at her feet with a sense of wonder. "I swear, I've gone up three shoe sizes in the last month."

"Your feet don't look any bigger than normal to me," said Ichigo from the kitchen as he placed the last dish in the cabinet. Drying his hands off with a dish towel, he padded into the living room and sat down on the couch beside his very pregnant wife.

"You're just saying that," mumbled Orihime as she absently ran her hand over her swollen belly. Chuckling softly to herself, she probed curiously at the large bump. "You know, you're lucky that you're male. You don't have to deal with this whole pregnancy thing."

"And why is that? I thought you were excited to have a baby."

"Oh, I am! I just wish the baby would quit using my organs as punching bags."

Smirking at his wife's sarcasm, Ichigo placed a kiss on her forehead before rising to his feet. Orihime raised an eyebrow as Ichigo rummaged around in the hallway closet for a few moments before returning with a small, brightly wrapped gift.

"Here."

"Ichigo, what's this?" Orihime's eyes widened slightly as she grasped the small package, her gaze darting back and forth between Ichigo and the wrapping paper.

"Go ahead. Open it," he murmured as he nodded encouragingly.

Smiling up at him, she eagerly tore into the wrapping paper, her eyes growing wide in surprise and delight. Inside lay a simple silver picture frame that held a black and white – and somewhat fuzzy – image sitting inside.

"Oh Ichigo," she breathed. Trailing her fingers over the picture, she felt tears welling in the corner of her eyes. "It...it's..."

"It's the first sonogram of the baby," he murmured as he nuzzled her neck. "I thought it'd be a nice surprise for you."

"It's perfect." Turning her head, she gently pressed her lips to his.

"Thank you," she whispered.


	10. Ice Skating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally got this idea from watching figure skating during the Olympics. Because of school and stuff I wasn't able to get it done as soon as I wanted to, but oh well. I'll warn you now, the ending sucks hard-core, but it's also almost two in the morning, so that's my excuse, lol.
> 
> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble X: Ice Skating

"Wow! Look at all the people!" breathed Orihime, her eyes sparkling in awe. Leaning over the railing, the tips of her auburn hair tickled her cheeks as she gazed out over the expansive ice rink.

Grunting, Ichigo grabbed her elbow, yanking her backwards just as someone went racing past them, nearly colliding with the gentle healer. Stumbling backwards, Orihime bumped into something solid and her eyes widened. Looking up, her cheeks grew hot under the piercing amber gaze that met her's.

"Be careful. I don't need to be scraping you off the ice," muttered Ichigo as he averted his gaze, his cheeks warming at the close contact.

"H-hai. Sorry Kurosaki-kun," whispered Orihime, her eyes downcast as she fiddled with her scarf. "I was just so excited because I've never been ice skating before."

"You don't need to apologize. That bastard should have been watching where he was going." Shaking his head, Ichigo's eyes softened as he gestured to the bench sitting behind them. "Let's get our skates on."

Nodding enthusiastically, Orihime bounced over to the wooden bench and pulled her winter boots off, tossing them aside carelessly. Ichigo's eyes silently roved over Orihime's figure, taking in everything from her gloved fingers and form-fitting winter coat to the teal leggings that covered her legs and short black skirt that skimmed her thighs. Hot color rose in his cheeks as he tried desperately to supress the naughty thoughts that were forming in his mind.

Ever since he had safely retrieved Orihime from the clutches of Aizen and the arrancar, he had become more aware of her. Her infectious smile. The way she would animatedly discuss robots and aliens. The way his heart would skip a beat every time she called out his name. Frowning, he wasn't sure what to make of this new desire to keep the healer by his side at all times. Was he just being protective of her?

Shaking his head, he knew that it was more than just feeling protective. It was something else – something deeper. It was almost as if they had connected on such a deep level that neither one of them were aware of it.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Startled from his reverie, Ichigo blinked and smiled sheepishly when he saw stormy gray eyes laced with worry staring up at him. "Sorry, I was lost in thought for a second."

A slight frown graced Orihime's usually cheerful face as she critically surveyed his form. After a moment, she smiled up at him, seeming to not have noticed anything life-threatening. "I was worried that the aliens may have turned your brain to goo! Aliens are very sneaky you know. They swoop down when you're not looking and probe -"

Holding up his hand to stop her rambling, he gave her a small smile. "Inoue, I'm fine."

Sitting on the bench beside her, he hastily threw his sneakers off and pulled his skates on, lacing them up tightly. Glancing over at her, he barely managed to hold back an amused chuckle when he saw that Orihime was struggling with the laces on her skates. Without a word, he tied the last knot in his own laces before kneeling before her and taking the laces out of her fingers. Keeping his eyes downward, his fingers shook slightly at the sharp intake of breath coming from the girl above him.

"K-Kurosaki-kun, w-what are you doing?" she squeaked.

"You need to make sure your laces are tight so that your foot doesn't slip out of the skates," he said casually, hoping that he sounded calmer than he felt. His hands shook as he tugged on the laces and glanced up at her. "Is this too tight?"

"N-no. Not at all," said Orihime quickly, shaking her head in the negative.

"Good." After he had finished, he rose to his feet and held his hand out for her.

He watched in amusement as her eyes grew wide and her gaze darted between his hand and his face, uncertainty written on her face. Finally, she slipped her small hand into his, a bright blush staining her cheeks. Closing his fingers around hers gently, he helped her to her feet. His eyes widened slightly as he noticed she began wobbling and his hand instinctively reached out to steady her, his fingers curling around her waist. After he was sure that she was steady on her feet, he quickly withdrew his hand just in case she wasn't okay with him touching her so familiarly.

He frowned as he noticed that his fingers seemed oddly cold at the loss of contact.

Silently, they slowly made their way towards the ice, Orihime slightly unsteady on her feet. Wobbling slightly, she grasped at the railing, using the wooden frame to hold her body up. Raising an eyebrow at her panicked look, Ichigo calmly stepped out onto the ice. A rush of adrenaline filled his veins as his feet hit the ice and he had to fight the urge to go around the rink at full speed.

"Wow, Kurosaki-kun must be good at ice skating!"

Spinning around in a half-circle, he shot a confused look at Orihime, who was beaming brightly at him. "What makes you think that?"

"Oh...well, you haven't fallen down yet so..." Her cheeks flushed a deep red as she averted her gaze, her grip on the railing tightening as her legs shook.

Shaking his head at her uncertainty, Ichigo held his hand out, his eyes softening at the self-conscious expression flitting across her face. "C'mon. Hold my hand and you won't fall."

After a moment's hesitation, Orihime nodded and relinquished her grip on the railing and curled her small fingers around Ichigo's. Tightening his grip on her hand, Ichigo's brow furrowed as Orihime tentatively put one foot on the ice, as if she were testing it to see if the ice would crack. Glancing up at him with worried gray eyes, Ichigo smiled encouragingly. He watched as she furrowed her brow and bit her lower lip, her eyes focused solely on her feet and the ice beneath her.

_'Has Inoue always been this pretty?'_  he thought idly, his eyes roving over her rounded face. Shaking his head, he mentally reprimanded himself for thinking like that about one of his closest friends.

"K-Kurosaki-kun! Look! I'm ice skating!"

Chuckling at her enthusiasm, Ichigo grinned mischievously at the gentle healer. "Not quite. You need to move in order to  _really_  ice skate."

Her eyes widened comically at his statement and before she could protest, he began skating backwards, slowly pulling her with him. Mouth gaping, Orihime stared at him in disbelief before squeaking in realization that she was moving.

"I-I'm skating! I'm really skating!" she cried.

Ichigo's heart skipped a beat as she laughed gaily and even through her thick wool gloves, he could feel her hands burning his. Slowly but surely, he was able to help Orihime make an entire lap around the skating rink. All the while, he couldn't stop wondering when she had become so pretty. From her gray eyes that sparkled in delight to her auburn hair and soft pink lips.

He swallowed thickly as his mind wandered to imagining whether her lips really were as soft as they looked.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Being snapped from his thoughts, his gaze was met by her sheepish one. "What's up?"

"A-ano... I'm so happy that Kurosaki-kun has helped me skate but you can go on ahead if you like. I don't want to hold you back."

Rolling his eyes at her comment, he relinquished his grip on one of her hands momentarily to playfully bop her on the head. "Inoue, don't worry about it. It's more fun to skate with someone else anyway," he muttered as he averted his gaze, pink tinting his cheeks.

"R-really?"

Grunting an affirmative, Ichigo studiously kept his gaze on his hands, not daring to look at the gentle healer's face in fear that his embarrassment would give him away.

"Move out of the way!"

Suddenly on alert, Ichigo's eyes snapped up just in time to see a rather large man barreling towards them, a panicked look on his face. Without a moment's hesitation, his arms went around Orihime's waist and he wrenched both of them to the side, narrowly escaping the man's path. He heard Orihime gasp sharply as he stumbled and fell, taking her with him.

Groaning in pain, Ichigo cracked and eye open to see that he was lying on his back, people milling around the two teenagers. Whispers floated around him, but he ignored them when he heard a small moan escape Orihime. Lifting her head slowly, she stared at him, her eyes widening as their current predicament dawned on her.

Her cheeks were stained a dark rosy color and she pushed herself up, her auburn hair spilling over her shoulder and onto Ichigo's chest. Admist her stuttering, Ichigo mentally noted just how well she seemed to meld against his body. Flushing, he gently covered her mouth, causing her to stop apologizing for her clumsiness.

"It wasn't your fault," he grunted absently as he tried to push the naughty thoughts rising in his mind.

"But Kurosaki-kun, I-"

"You're not hurt, are you?"

"N-no," she whispered, shaking her head in the negative.

"Good." Grinning sheepishly, he scratched the back of his neck. "Want to go around again?"

The way her eyes lit up, he could have sworn that he had just offered her a million dollars. Smiling softly as he helped her to her feet, he was sure that it would be worth taking a fall for her every day if it meant he would get to see her truly happy.


	11. Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble XI: Game

"Ne, Kurosaki-kun. Want to play a game?"

Glancing up from his textbook, Ichigo's brows furrowed at the gentle healer's sudden request. She was sitting beside him, her notebooks spread out on the small table, a small smile on her lips. Her auburn hair fell over her small shoulders and her gray eyes sparkled with what appeared to be mischief.

"What kind of game?" he asked warily. It wasn't like Orihime to suddenly request something of him.  _'But then again, this_  is _Orihime we're talking about,'_ he thought.

"A guessing game!" she chirped excitedly. Noticing the suddenly uneasy expression on Ichigo's face, she waved her hands in front of her. "It's a game that Tatsuki taught me. You're supposed to trace patterns or shapes on the other person's back and that person is supposed to guess what it is. It's really fun!"

Taking a moment to let this information sink in, Ichigo's heart unexpectedly skipped a beat in anticipation. His mind soon traveled to thoughts of what it would feel like to have her small hands traversing across his back. A hot blush climbed his cheeks and he quickly pushed the perverted thoughts flitting about in his head away.

Glancing back at the woman staring expectantly at him, he ran a hand through his hair before nodding. Clapping her hands with joy, she scooted back from the table eagerly and clamored to his side.

"I'll go first, so turn around."

Obliging her, Ichigo awkwardly turned so that his back was to the attractive woman who was humming quietly to herself. His cheeks flushed when her fingers brushed against his back, the heat of her fingers burning through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. Her touch was light, almost tentative, as she ran her fingers down his spine. He shivered involuntarily as she followed the contours of his muscles, almost as if she was trying to memorize the feel of it. His shoulders hunched forward, he desperately tried to hold back the groan of pleasure that threatened to fall from his lips when her nails raked against his shoulder blades.

_'Damn, that feels good.'_

His eyes drifted shut under her feather-light touches, his mind wondering what it would feel like to have her fingers running across his bare skin. He felt his cheeks growing hot as she continued to curiously trace over the ridges of his back.

"Can you guess what the pattern was?"

Her sudden question dragged Ichigo from his reverie and he turned around to face her. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes widened when she noticed the heated look in his eyes. Dragging his gaze away from her parted lips, Ichigo swallowed thickly before shaking his head in the negative.

"I have no idea what it was."

Looking somewhat pleased that she had been able to fool the substitute shinigami, she smiled brightly at him. "It was a hibiscus flower," she stated proudly.

_'How the hell was that a hibiscus flower?'_ Shaking his head, he cleared his throat and motioned for her to turn around. "I guess it's my turn now, right?"

She nodded sheepishly, a dark blush creeping up her cheeks as she slowly turned around, her fingers twisting the fabric of her skirt. Unthinkingly, Ichigo swept her thick hair to the side, letting it fall over her shoulder as his fingers trailed through the silky strands. Pulling his hand back, he let his fingertips trail across her newly exposed neck, causing Orihime to gasp. His gaze traveled down her slender neck to her narrow shoulders and then the curve of her hips.

Dragging his hand down her back, he noticed a slight tremor wrack her body under his touch. He swallowed thickly, the fact that it was supposed to be a game being forgotten. Curiously, he traced the line of her bra, noting how the fabric of her shirt seemed strained against her large chest. Without thinking, he scooted closer to the woman in front of him, his mind becoming hazy as a light floral scent wafted around him.

Orihime gasped when his hot breath fanned over the back of her neck and her cheeks grew warm. Running his hands up her slender arms, Ichigo gripped her shoulders gently, his lips brushing against the side of her neck.

"K-K-Kurosaki-kun, wh-what are you doing?" stammered Orihime, her voice shaky.

Turning her around so that she faced him, Ichigo gripped her chin gently, forcing her to look at him. Her gray eyes were wide, emotions that Ichigo couldn't pinpoint shining within their stormy depths. Ichigo was barely able to keep a low growl in check as Orihime's tongue darted out to wet her lips. Lowering his head, he ran his thumb over her satiny cheek, reveling in the softness of her skin. He paused just a hair away from her lips, her hot breath washing over his face.

"Inoue," he whispered, his voice deeper than usual. He quickly closed the distance between them, almost groaning in pleasure at how soft and pliable her lips were.

Orihime quickly melted into his embrace, her hands fisting the front of his shirt as she eagerly returned the kiss. Ichigo moved his lips against hers, reveling in the sensation. His hand trailed down her arm before wrapping around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Pulling away slightly, he gasped for air as he stared at the woman in his arms. Her eyes were hooded, a passionate gaze clouding the stormy gray depths. Her lips, slightly swollen from the kiss, were parted as she tried to catch her breath.

Ichigo's eyes widened as it suddenly dawned on him what he had just done. "Inoue, I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that and -" He trailed off when Orihime placed her finger over his lips, a soft smile on her face.

"Don't apologize," she murmured, her cheeks flushing. "I didn't mind it. In fact..." She looked away in embarrassment, her fingers twisting the fabric of her skirt. "Could we...do it again?"

Grinning, Ichigo nodded before swooping in for another kiss, this time slightly more forceful. He ran his tongue across her lip, silently asking for access. She obliged and a gasp escaped her when Ichigo's tongue forced it's way into her mouth. Her brows furrowed slightly as the dueled for dominance, but she soon lost herself in the exhilarating sensations coursing throughout her body. Running her fingers through Ichigo's soft hair and massaging his scalp, she couldn't help but be more than a little pleased with herself for finally kissing the man of her dreams.

Abandoning her mouth, Ichigo trailed wet kisses down the side of her neck, reveling in the soft sighs that escaped Orihime's swollen lips. Running his hands up her sides, he gently cupped her large breasts, amazed at how heavy they were. Squeezing gently, his blood quickly surged as Orihime tugged on his hair, moaning softly in his ear.

Feeling suddenly bold, Ichigo pushed Orihime onto her back and hovered over her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she panted, her eyes darkened and heated as she gazed at him. Licking his dry lips as he took in her form, from her auburn hair splayed about her to her long legs that were bent at the knees slightly, just barely keeping the view of her panties from him. Placing one hand on either side of her head, he lowered his head and claimed her lips in another searing kiss.

"Kurosaki-kun..." she whispered, her breath washing across his face.

He nipped at her lower lip, his mind foggy and not a single coherent thought running through his head.

"Kurosaki-kun."

A groan ripped through his throat as he bit down on the side of her neck, his fingers deftly slipping the buttons on her shirt out of their fastenings.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

Starting, Ichigo groaned as he cracked one eye open, his mind slightly fuzzy. Rubbing his head, Ichigo straightened and was disappointed to find that he was still sitting at Orihime's table studying instead of pinning the woman beside him to the floor and devouring her luscious lips. Glancing to his right, he saw Orihime peering at him, worry shining in her eyes as he stretched.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you alright?" she inquired softly.

"Yeah." Massaging his shoulder, he smiled sheepishly at her. "Sorry. Guess I fell asleep."

A relieved smile lit up Orihime's face and she set her pencil down on her notebook. "Oh good! Kurosaki-kun suddenly fell asleep and I was worried that aliens had swooped down and probed your brain!"

Chuckling at her enthusiasm, he turned back to his textbook, his brows furrowing.  _'Damn it. So it was a dream after all. Who the hell am I kidding? Something like that would never happen between me and Inoue,'_  he thought dejectedly. Picking up his pencil, he tried to concentrate on his studying, but he couldn't seem to push away the remnants of his rather steamy dream.

"Ne, Kurosaki-kun?"

Turning back to look at the gentle healer beside him, his eyes widened slightly when he noticed that she was sitting much closer to him and smiling rather sheepishly at him.

"Want to play a game?"


	12. Breasts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so just a fair warning: this drabble is purely crack and not intended to be anything other than that. My boyfriend and I were discussing how in the anime when Loly and Menoly rip Orihime's clothing, her over shirt seems to get progressively shorter until it's no longer covering her breasts. For the sake of experimentation, I felt like I should delve deeper into this mystery and find out what would happen if she had no undershirt when her clothing was ripped.
> 
> I'd also like to extend an apology to my readers; it's currently 1:30 in the morning and I've been drinking Red Bull all night. If this makes no sense, please feel free to ignore both me and this chapter before going on your merry way.
> 
> I've also discovered I'm not very good at writing crack.
> 
> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble XII: Breasts

"You're finished." Orihime's eyes widened in horror at the malicious grin that spread across Loly's face. "I'm going to forcibly take back everything you've stolen from me!"

The sound of fabric ripping filled the air as a startled gasp escaped Orihime's lips, scraps of white fabric floating innocently to the ground. The sound of swords clanging in the distance paused momentarily, but she didn't take much notice as she shielded her face from the assault Loly and Menoly were dishing out.

"Inoue!"

Peering up from beneath her hands, Orihime's gaze met a pair of startled amber eyes, the two girls having paused in their attack. She was about to call out to him to tell him she was okay, but snapped her mouth shut as Ichigo shakily pointed at her, his cheeks becoming rather red.

"I-Inoue, your..." He trailed off as he averted his gaze, his finger still pointing towards her. "Your chest..."

Confused, Orihime glanced down at her outfit before an embarrassed squeak escaped her. She quickly covered herself, her face a bright red as she stared in horror at Ichigo.

Her mind was racing as she tried to figure out exactly how this had happened, but she could only concentrate on one thought.

_'Kurosaki-kun just saw my breasts...'_

Whimpering, she curled in on herself, attempting to hide her exposed breasts from prying eyes as she prayed for a hole to open up in the ground and swallow her whole.

_'How did this happen?'_  she thought frantically as she thought back through the last twenty-four hours since her arrival in Hueco Mundo. _'Oh yeah...Aizen-sama took my school uniform when he gave me this to wear.'_

"Inoue, I-" stammered Ichigo, keeping his gaze averted so as not to humiliate his friend any further. His eyes widened as he blocked a strike from Ulquiorra, his amber eyes glaring at a pair of green ones.

"You shouldn't let your attention stray, Kurosaki."

"Oh would you shut the fuck up?" shouted Ichigo as he shoved the Espada backwards. Turning on his heel, he dashed towards his friend who sat miserably on the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks. Frowning, he quickly shrugged out of his jacket before wrapping it around Orihime's shoulders.

Blinking in surprise, Orihime glanced up, her cheeks flushed as she stared at Ichigo in wonder. "K-Kurosaki-kun..."

"Er...I didn't see anything," he muttered. He blatantly ignored his hollow's jeering and cat-calling from inside his head.

Nodding numbly, Orihime clutched at Ichigo's coat, hoping that she would regain a semblance of composure if she was able to keep herself covered. Brushing the tears from her eyes, she smiled sheepishly up at him, her spirits lifting slightly.

A sudden rush of familiar reiatsu had both of them looking over at the tower's window. A rush of relief flooded through Orihime as Ishida came into view; Ichigo simply exhaled sharply.

"It's about fucking time," he grumbled.

"Inoue-san, are you -" Ishida paused, his eyes widening as he took in the sight before him.

Orihime was sitting on the floor, clutching Ichigo's coat around her shoulders. Ichigo was kneeling in front of her – shirtless no less – while scraps of what couldn't be anything but the remains of Orihime's top were scattered around them. Glancing around the room, he saw Ulquiorra patiently standing on the other side of the room, clearly waiting for Ichigo to resume their fight. The sound of hysterical sobbing caught his attention and he deadpanned when he saw the two arrancar clutching each other while sitting in a corner, complaining that they'd 'never be able to measure up to that stupid human.'

"Kurosaki..." he began slowly, dragging his gaze away from the pathetic arrancars in the corner and back to his friends. "What the  _fuck_  did you do to Inoue-san?"

"NOTHING!"


	13. Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In an attempt to find some inspiration, I was perusing the website called Love Gives Me Hope where I stumbled across this amazing post:
> 
> Today my crush was telling me how he was in love with the most beautiful person in the world.  
> I just listened but didn't say much.  
> After a while, he says, "Don't you know I have been talking about you this whole time?"
> 
> I couldn't resist writing a short IchiHime drabble to it, so I really hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble XIII: Confession

"Do you like anyone, Kurosaki-kun?"

Startled by the sudden question, Ichigo tore his gaze from his notebook to regard the girl sitting beside him. Her cheeks were flushed and she quickly averted her gaze, as if she were embarrassed by her inquiry. Setting his pencil down, he rested his chin in his hand, mulling over his potential answer. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Orihime nervously twisting the fabric of her skirt in her slender fingers as she nervously peeked up at him.

"Yeah...I suppose I do," he replied, his tone somewhat wistful.

Orihime's head perked up at his confession, her eyes widening at the soft expression crossing her crush's face. Her heart sped up and she clenched her hands around her skirt in order to hide their shaking. Swallowing thickly, she unknowingly let the one question she was afraid to ask spill from her lips.

"What's she like?"

Clapping a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide in mortification, she quickly stammered out an apology. "I-I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun! I shouldn't have asked! It's really none of my business..."

Ichigo turned to look at her, a quizzical look crossing his features for a brief moment. "No, it's alright." Glancing back out the window of Orihime's apartment, Ichigo suddenly felt unusually in-tune with his feelings. "She's...amazing. She's strong and stubborn and one of the most selfless people I know." He chuckled at how sappy he sounded and kneaded the back of her neck as he continued, "Hell, I followed her to hell and back. Of course, I didn't know I liked her then."

With each word that fell from Ichigo's lips, Orihime felt her heart sink. Tears stung at her eyes and she tried desperately to keep them from falling as he continued to list off traits of the girl he liked. He seemed so content when he was talking about whoever this girl was and a small part of her knew that he would never return her feelings. It was as if her very world was crashing down around her.

"She's just... She's unbelievable," finished Ichigo. A sniffle broke him from his reverie and he turned to see Orihime choking back sobs. His eyes widened in horror as she gave him a watery smile, a single tear escaping her eye and trailing down her cheek.

"Th-that's great K-Kurosaki-kun," she whispered, her voice quavering as she choked back a sob. "I-I'm so happy for you."

"Idiot..." muttered Ichigo as he reached out to wipe the tears from her cheeks. Orihime tensed as his thumb brushed against her cheek and she slowly brought her gaze up to his. "Didn't you know I was talking about you?"

Orihime's eyes widened at this, her mouth slightly agape. "You-you were?" When she saw him nod slightly, relief rushed through her like a salve to a wound. Her cheeks warmed under his gentle touch as he continued to brush away stray tears and her lips curved up into a gentle smile.

"I...I really like you too, Kurosaki-kun," she whispered.

A rare grin stretched across Ichigo's face as he cupped her face in his hands and lowered his lips to capture hers.


	14. Irrisistible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After much pressuring and goading from Kenkai-dono and Star-chan, I've given in and decided to write a drabble inspired by chapter 417. Ichigo and his long hair just makes me fangirl without abandon, so I was wondering what would happen if Orihime were to see him with it. As a result, this drabble does contain very minor spoilers for chapter 417. You have been warned!
> 
> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble XIV: Irresistible

Stumbling over a few rocks, Orihime clutched the stitch in her side as she fought to catch her breath. After hearing about Aizen's retreat to Hueco Mundo – whether it was to regroup with the remainders of his army or to lick his wounds in solitude, no one was sure – she begged Byakuya to bring her to Soul Society. Despite being holed up in Las Noches while the battle continued, word still traveled to the remaining captains so that everyone knew where Aizen had traveled to.

She glanced fretfully around the battle-worn buildings and rubble that littered the ground as she searched for that all too familiar reiatsu. Finding what she was looking for, she took off across the rubble, her only thoughts being that she had to get to him. What if he was hurt and needed help?

Eyes widening as she rounded a corner, she exhaled in relief when she saw who she was looking for standing amongst the destruction, chatting with one of the captains. Her heart skipped a beat when he glanced up, his gaze locking with hers instantly. Ignoring what the shinigami beside him was saying, the man quickly made his way over, his eyes skimming her form as if looking for any injuries.

"Inoue, are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with worry and urgency.

"I'm fine," she murmured, her gaze raking over his face. It had only been a few hours since she last saw him and yet he looked so... _different_. Orihime flushed as she noticed that he had not only grown a few inches, but his hair was quite a bit longer too, giving him a rugged and yet unbelievably sexy edge. "Y-your hair..."

"Ah...yeah." Ichigo felt his cheeks flush slightly as he absently reached up to toy with his longer locks. "It's gotten kind of long. I think I'm going to cut it as soon as we get back."

"No!" Orihime's eyes widened and she clapped a hand over her mouth at her sudden outburst. Ichigo merely raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"I...wh-what I meant to say was..." stammered Orihime as she frantically flailed her arms, her brain moving at light-speed to come up with an answer that wouldn't give away what she was really thinking. Bowing her head in the hopes that her hair would cover up the dark blush staining her cheeks, she chewed on her lower lips before admitting, "I-it looks good on you."

Startled by what she said, Ichigo absently ran a hand through his hair, his heart beating a fast tattoo against his ribcage. "You really think so?"

"U-uhn!" Glancing up at him, Orihime was happy to see that instead of looking offended, he looked rather contemplative.

"In that case...maybe I won't cut it quite yet," mused Ichigo, more to himself than to anything.

"Really?" exclaimed Orihime as she clapped her hands together in excitement. Seeing him nod in the affirmative, she couldn't stop the wide grin that spread across her face at the news. Her cheeks flushed as she continued to stare at him, her gaze repeatedly flicking to the long locks covering his eyes. "K-Kurosaki-kun, could I...?" Clapping her hands to her cheeks, she squeaked in embarrassment. "Ah, n-nevermind! It's too embarrassing!"

"Inoue, what is it?" Ichigo had never seen her act like this before and he was starting to think she may have had lost her mind with everything she'd been through.

"C-could I...could I touch your hair?" she stammered, her cheeks flaming.

Blinking in surprise at her sudden request, Ichigo nodded dumbly. Was his hair really that big of a deal? Stooping down a bit, he closed his eyes as a dull heat burned his cheeks at their close proximity.

Reaching out, Orihime tentatively touched his hair with one finger. Surprised at how soft it was despite how it looked, she began running her fingers through his hair, reveling in how it felt. After several moments, she quickly pulled her hand back, her heart hammering wildly in her ribcage.

Straightening up, Ichigo scratched his cheek in embarrassment. He vaguely heard her stutter her thanks before running off to help Unohana with any healing that may need to be done. Smirking, he mentally noted that maybe leaving his hair long wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.


	15. Ribbon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble XV: Ribbon

Ichigo continued to stare as his girlfriend toyed with the edge of the pink ribbon securing the ends of her pigtail braids. With the pale, creamy skin of her neck exposed for all the world to see, he couldn't stop the beginnings of jealousy growing in the pit of his stomach. Usually she kept her hair down, so why this new hairstyle all of a sudden? He'd admit that it made her look unbelievably innocent, but that made her all the more tempting to his raging teenage hormones.

Screwing his eyes shut, Ichigo tried to block out all the dirty thoughts that were plaguing his mind only to be brought salvation in the form of the bell ringing. Closing his textbooks and returning them to his bag, he rose from his chair and headed towards the redheaded healer. She was talking animatedly with Tatsuki as she rose from her seat, but paused when she saw him approaching.

She turned to face him, a bright smile on her face. "Kurosaki-kun!"

"Hey Ichigo," said Tatsuki. Ichigo absently nodded in her direction, his attention solely on the petite woman in front of him.

Clearing his throat, Ichigo ignored the faint blush that was creeping up his cheeks as he gazed into her big doe eyes. He could clearly see the confusion in her eyes, coupled by the fact that Tatsuki was giving him an odd look. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the tomboy shake her head before grabbing her lunch and leaving the couple alone.

"Kurosaki-kun, what's wrong?"

"Your hair. Why...why did you change your hairstyle?"

"Eh?" Orihime appeared taken aback by his inquiry. She glanced down and toyed with the ribbon for a second.

"Tatsuki-chan gave me these ribbons for my birthday awhile back. I just wanted to try something different for a day." She looked back up at him, her eyes wide and her mouth turning down into a small frown. "But...but if you don't like it, I can always take them out."

Ichigo panicked for a split second as she reached up to remove the ribbon and instinctively grabbed her hand. Her mouth parted in surprise and her gaze flew to his, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"No, that's okay," he grunted. Releasing her hand, he averted his gaze as he felt his cheeks heat up even more. "I...I like it like that."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Scratching the back of his neck, Ichigo searched for the words he desperately needed to find. "I guess I just don't like the fact that the other guys have been staring at you."

A small giggle escaped Orihime and she smiled softly at him. "Kurosaki-kun, you know that no matter how many admirers I have, you're the only one I have eyes for."

Cracking a small smile at Orihime's confession, he idly reached out to run the ribbon through his fingers.

"You know...this ribbon really suits you," he murmured.

"You think so?" chirped Orihime, obviously pleased with his admission.

Nodding, Ichigo bent down to claim her lips in a chast kiss before letting go of her hair. Heading towards the door, he paused to glance back at his flustered girlfriend, a smug smile on his face at the flush creeping up her cheeks.

He'd let her keep the ribbons in for a little while longer. At least until he walked her home.


	16. Swim Team

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the brain-child of several fangirls trying to imagine Ichigo on the swim team. Needless to say, it's quite crack!tastic. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble XVI: Swim Team

"Good work today Senpai!"

Nodding, Ichigo grabbed a towel from the small, neat pile sitting on the edge of the pool and proceeded to dry himself off. The chatter of his teammates faded into the distance as they filed into the locker room to change and head home, but Ichigo decided to hang back. Roughly dragging the towel over his wet hair, he frowned slightly as he thought about today's swim team practice. He had been roped into helping the team out with one of their meets, but he soon found himself an official member of the team. If anything, he was grateful for the medium to get rid of some extra tension or frustration.

Hearing a shuffle towards the far end of the pool, Ichigo paused in his motions for a moment before pulling the towel down to hang around his shoulders. His eyes narrowed as he heard the shuffling noise again and he quickly but silently padded towards the small shadowy corner of the room. Clenching his fists, he inwardly swore to himself when he thought of the possibility of it being another stupid freshman trying to take pictures of him and the team again.

"Who's there?" he called out, his voice harsh in the quiet room.

A small squeak greeted his ears and his eyes widened when he saw a head of auburn hair poke out from behind a hamper. Wide brown eyes met his and Ichigo groaned softly.

"K-Kurosaki-kun!"

"Inoue, what are you doing here?"

Orihime slowly removed herself from her hiding spot, her cheeks flushing a bit in embarrassment. She thought her hiding spot had been a good one too! "I um... Well, you see, there was a gnome who snuck in here and I thought I'd try and catch him before he ruined your practice!"

Raising an eyebrow, Ichigo didn't believe a word that Orihime had said. He knew damn well she had another reason for hiding during his team's practice. Noticing his skeptical look, Orihime sighed softly in defeat.

"I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun. I was just curious about what the swim team was like, but I knew it would be embarrassing for both of us if I came to watch. That's why I was hiding."

Opening his mouth to reply, Ichigo snapped it shut when he noticed her gaze drifting down his torso to his hips. Blushing, he swiftly pulled his damp towel from around his shoulders and wrapped it around his hips, shielding his embarrassing speedo from the girl's view.

"Um...what's that?" she inquired innocently, her gaze still stuck on the small amount of blue spandex poking from above his towel.

"It's just my team uniform, Inoue," grumbled Ichigo, his cheeks heating up some more under her curious gaze.

"But it's so...so tiny!" she exclaimed. Her gaze returned to meet his for a split second, both of them thoroughly embarrassed by the turn of their conversation.

Averting his gaze, Ichigo crossed his arms in irritation. "I-it's not like I wanted to wear it! The captain forced me to."

His eyes widened when he felt her fingertips brush over his hip as she pulled down his towel a bit more to get a better look. He hadn't even noticed her get closer to him! Gripping the towel, he fought frantically to get out of her grasp, his heart pounding in his ears.

"I-Inoue! What are you doing?"

"I just want to see it..." she mumbled as she tugged at his towel insistantly.

" _INOUE!_ "


	17. Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not entirely sure how this happened. Spice gave me the prompt 'sleep' and I initially wanted to write a smut piece, but somehow it turned into a massive piece of angst. Either way, I think it turned out okay. I blame the massive amounts of Puella Magi Madoka Magica I've been watching. I like to think I was inspired by the scene between Homura and Madoka in episode ten. XD;
> 
> Um, anyway, kind of a different spin on the Winter War and if Orihime had helped defeat Aizen, but didn't survive.
> 
> Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo. All rights reserved.

Drabble XVII: Sleep

"Inoue... Inoue."

Cracking her eyes open, Orihime blearily peered around her. Her vision was hazy, her body frozen as rain continued to fall from the darkened sky. As her vision focused, the first thing she noticed was a shock of orange hair. Although his facial features continued to fade in and out of focus, she cracked a small smile.

"Kurosaki-kun," she whispered.

"Yeah, it's me Inoue," he murmured. Orihime felt her heart skip a beat as he clasped her hand in his; his warm, calloused hand a stark contrast from her cold skin.

Opening her mouth to speak, she had to pause and swallow against her dry throat before trying again. "What...what happened?"

A strained smile crossed Ichigo's face, although Orihime noticed that it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Aizen's gone, Orihime."

"So we won?"

Nodding, Ichigo felt his heart ache at the hopeful ton in her hoarse voice. Although they had won, Orihime sacrificed herself to reject the Hyougoku and judging by the large amount of blood she had lost, she wouldn't make it through the night. Averting his gaze, he pondered the idea of whether or not she'd have enough strength left to reject her wounds, but quickly pushed the thought aside. She could barely keep her eyes open, let along sit up without any assistance. How would she have enough strength left to reject her wounds?

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Looking back at her, he was shocked to see tears brimming in the corner of her eyes. "Yeah?"

"I...I'm sorry I wasn't able to help much."

"What are you talking about?" he murmured. "You're the only reason we were able to win."

"But if I..." She paused as she swallowed again. "If I hadn't been kidnapped by Ulquiorra, then you-"

Her eyes widened as Ichigo silently pressed his lips to hers, silencing her protests. The kiss lasted only a second, but Orihime was over the moon as he pulled away.

"Inoue, I'm the one who should be sorry. If I hadn't dragged you into this..."

Shaking her head, Orihime smiled softly at him. "Don't apologize, Kurosaki-kun. It was fun while it lasted."

Unable to say much else, Ichigo nodded and returned her smile before pressing his lips against hers once again. As he pulled away, he watched her eyes drift shut as she fell into that deep, eternal slumb


End file.
